Someday, motorists may be taxed by the mile

Would you like to own and drive a car with a computer that would record your mileage and transmit it via satellite to a federal agency — perhaps the Internal Revenue Service? — which will bill you each year for the miles you travel?

This is not your father’s Oldsmobile — or Pontiac, Chrysler, Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda or Studebaker. Rather than simply paying a gasoline tax “hidden” in the price of each gallon of fuel purchased at the retail level, car owners in the future may be charged for each mile they go.

“The vehicle-per-mile [charge] is not feasible at this time, because you don’t have the technology in the vehicles,” Mica said. “We aren’t at that stage yet, but eventually you’ll have a chip in your car.”

The leap in technology for taxing drivers is coming, Mica said, because the Congress must find a new way to fund highway construction and upkeep, as well as to subsidize mass transit.

Part of the problem is Americans are heeding calls to conserve fuel; another part of the problem comes from increasing numbers of cars with greater fuel economy.

“Every day, the fleet is getting more efficient,” Mica said. “They’re literally driving further and paying less, so the system will collapse.”

Mica said the federal gasoline tax of 18.4 cents per gallon is simply not bringing in sufficient revenues to repair the nation’s highways and bridges. The cash shortage became so acute last year, he noted, the Congress had to add $8 billion from general revenues to the Highway Transportation Trust Fund.

To compound the unforeseen side effect of the improved mileage of the newer vehicles, Mica predicted the decline in fuel-tax collections will accelerate because of the sour economy and the drive to alternative fuels.

Thus, he concluded, another means of raising the revenue necessary for roads linking the nation will be required. That new possibility may be devices that let Uncle Sam know how many miles a car or truck travels each year.

Asked if he and others in the Congress are ready to propose a high-tech mileage tax, Mica said public discontent with government makes the idea unfeasible for now, at least.

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frankly | posted Sep 8, 2009 - 12:07:04pm

You are a bit extreme-Forget Al Gore-he did not invent the term Global Warming just like he did not "invent cyberspace". You can call it whatever you like-as you say the sun & solar flare activity does indeed affect our environment. Climate Change is caused by many natural causes but mostly by HUMAN POLLUTANTS. If we tax anyone it should be major corporations, manufacturers of poisionous chemicals and pollutants-those that pollute our air, aquifers, rivers & oceans. Force then to clean up their old closed wells and Mines. I suppose you think the EPA and DEP and FDA are a farce too. Please get off the bashing bandwagon and do something positive. I'm very sick of blame & partisan politics, we all need to work

together. Go have some fish full of Mercury for lunch, take a deep breath of coal burning soot,rocket/jet fuels, take a cruise to watch the ships dump their sewage in the ocean, go boating on the river and count the dead fish & birds-then tell me there is nothing wrong.

@Michael Jaeckle, I think my comments were just a general sigh at goverment even making such a notion at this time for such a proposal. Don''t mind my whining too much. Just a frustrated citizens venting just a little.

Has anyone noticed how bitter everyone has become since they voted in the man with all the promising changes? It's not too late yet but if the voters do not CHANGE the people that we have in office now we will all be in the poverty mode.

Just raise the gas tax. the only reason the gas tax is not raised is for political reasons. But the tax should be on the fuel, and whatever it takes to pay for the roads. The heavier the vehicle, the more damage it does to the road, and the more gas it uses.

To Mr. Muddogs, the Japanese 6 or 8 yrs. ago put onto the market a computerized toilet that counts turds and estimates their weight as well! So every time you flush the toilet, guess what? Your water bill can be adjusted! Now that really rocks,,, this is no joke. As far as being taxed for the air that you breath, what do you think the EPA does? Well, their job is to tax you for the air you breath! This is no joke either, pure truth. Do you remember 20 yrs ago the EPA forced the automobile manufacturers to eliminate R-12 from the A/C systems? Yeah, this was supposed to eliminate 'global warming'. And they had a synthetic replacement for it. But, R-12 actually breaks down to its natural form of chlorine. The synthetic replacement does NOT! Chlorine is a natural element in the air we breath. Global warming, what joke! Why are scientists in Europe worried about an iceage? HMMMM? Al Gore,,,, what a Bozo he truly is! The climate of our planet is controlled by solar flares!!! But the commies in Washington have told the same lies over & over so many times, most people have come to believe his BS as truth. This is called 'propaganda'. And if you haven't noticed, the commie that occupies the whitehouse is increasing the size and role of government in leaps and bounds. More tax dollars to support his communist/socialistic takeover. And if you don't believe the words I've used, look at the 'Czars' who he's appointed! No different than the card carrying commies that founded the ACLU in 1920. Their sole purpose then and remains the same today. To use our laws against America. And if we don't start recalling these politicians out of office soon, you'll be spelling America with a 'K'. I could go on with the truth for hours, and everything I've said here I can prove. Oh, by the way, did you know ALL of Obamas mentors are 60's/70's radicals? Hey, I didn't vote for the fool! But a whole bunch of really ignorant fools did! RECALL THE COMMIE POLITICIANS!!!

And next they'll be charging you a tax for blowing your nose- tissue tax, bathroom tax- for toilet paper,Use of air tax - when you breath.Use of sidewalk tax- when you walk downtown. YA Da Ya Da Ya Da. Makes me wonder what else the village idiots in Tallahassee and Washington will think to tax us for.